(New York City, N.Y.) – Fifteen members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Fencing Team will compete in an exhibition on Tuesday night at the Fencing Masters: Kick-Off to London at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.
Members of Team USA will take on some of the top athletes in the world with proceeds from the event supporting Fencing-In-Schools – a non-profit organization creating by 2008 Olympic silver medalist Tim Morehouse (New York City, N.Y.) to help start fencing programs in disadvantaged communities. Funds raised at the event also will help provide grants to members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team. The inaugural event fencing Masters provided more than $25,000 worth of grants to Olympic fencing hopefuls.
More than 1,500 fans are expected to attend the event that has grown into the largest spectator fencing tournament in the United States. Tickets are available for purchase at the door as well, beginning at 6 p.m.
The schedule is as follows:
4:30 p.m.
Press Arrival Time
5:30 p.m.
Red Carpet for Athletes and Celebrities
6 p.m.
Cocktail reception
7:30 p.m.
Opening of Fencing Masters
8 p.m.
Competition Begins
U.S. Olympic Team members competing in the exhibition include:
Women’s Saber
Mariel Zagunis (Beaverton, Ore.), two-time Olympic Champion
Dagmara Wozniak (Avenel, N.J.), four-time Senior World Cup medalist
Men’s Saber
Tim Morehouse (New York City, N.Y.), 2008 Olympic team silver medalist
James Williams (New York City, N.Y.), 2008 Olympic team silver medalist
Daryl Homer (New York City, N.Y.), 2011 Pan American Champion
Women’s Foil
Lee Kiefer (Lexington, Ky.), 2011 Senior World medalist
Nzingha Prescod (Brooklyn, N.Y.), 2011 Junior World Champion
Nicole Ross (New York City, N.Y.), 2009 Junior World Team Champion
Men’s Foil
Race Imboden (Brooklyn, N.Y.), two-time Senior World Cup medalist
Gerek Meinhardt (San Francisco, Calif.), 2010 Senior World medalist
Miles Chamley-Watson (Philadelphia, Pa.), 2010 Senior World fifth-place finisher
Women’s Epee
Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas), 2012 Pan American Team Champion
Susie Scanlan (St. Paul, Minn.), 2012 Pan American Team Champion
Men’s Epee
Soren Thompson (New York City, N.Y.), 2012 World Team Champion
Seth Kelsey (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 2012 World Team Champion
The main event will include four team matches.
Match 1 will feature the World All-Stars vs. Future Stars – the winners of a tournament for up-and-coming athletes held earlier in the day.
Match-ups are as follows:
Saber
Katherine Kempe (GBR) vs. Future Star Women’s Saber
Bolade Apithy (FRA) vs. Future Star Men’s Saber
Epee
Emese Takaaks (ITA) vs. Future Stars Women’s Epee
Marat Israelian (ISR) vs. Future Stars Men’s Epee
Foil
Sylwia Gruchala (POL) vs. Future Stars Women’s Foil
Gerek Meinhardt (USA) vs. Future Stars Men’s Foil
Match 2 will feature Team USA vs. Team USA 2 as members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team go head-to-head.
Match-ups are as follows:
Epee
Courtney Hurley vs. Susie Scanlan
Soren Thompson vs. Seth Kelsey
Foil
Nzingha Prescod vs. Nicole Ross
Race Imboden vs. Miles Chamley-Watson
Saber
Tim Morehouse vs. James Williams
Mariel Zagunis vs. Dagmara Wozniak
In the Finals Match, the World All-Stars Team will take on the winners of the Team USA vs. Team USA 2 bout.
Match-ups are as follows:
Epee
USA Winner Women vs. Emese Takaacs (ITA)
USA Winner Men vs. Marat Israelian (ISR)
Foil
USA Winner Women vs. Sylwia Gruchala (POL)
USA Winner Men vs. Gerek Meinhardt (GER)
Saber
USA Winner Men vs. Bolade Apithy (FRA)
USA Winner Women vs. Katherine Kempe (GBR)
The night will conclude with the Champions Round in which four of Team USA’s top fencers will compete against members of the World Team in foil and saber.
Match-ups are as follows:
Foil
Lee Kiefer (USA) vs. Sylwia Gruchala (POL)
Race Imboden (USA) vs. Gerek Meinhardt (USA)
Saber
Daryl Homer (USA) vs. Bolade Apithy (FRA)
Mariel Zagunis (USA) vs. Katherine Kempe (GBR)
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